Germany created a number of successful schwerer Panzerspahwagen ("heavy armored reconnaissance vehicles"). Among them was the Sd.Kfz.231 8-Rad ("eight-wheel"). Loosely based on the six-wheeled Sd.Kfz.231, the Bussing-NAG 8x8 chassis offered improved cross-country mobility. The vehicle also possessed eight-wheel steering, and there were dual driver's controls that allowed the vehicle to drive rapidly (its maximum road speed was 85km/h) in either direction if it came under attack. It had a rear-mounted V8 engine and required a crew of four men (commander, gunner, two drivers). The 8.3-tonne design was ordered in 1934, and the Sd.Kfz.231 featured a hexagonal-shaped turret mounting a 2cm KwK 30 (or KwK 38) cannon plus one MG34 machine gun. Although production ceased in May 1942, the Sd.Kfz.231 continued to see service throughout WWII.

Dragon Armor has done it again by producing another brand new item! It's an Sd.Kfz.231 and it features all-new toolings. The unique shape of this 8x8 vehicle is beautifully captured, and the miniature portrays a vehicle fighting from an unidentified unit on the Eastern Front in 1941. It's painted in a typical panzer gray color scheme, and this armored car is ready to perform reconnaissance missions across the vast Russian steppes ahead of the all-conquering panzer divisions!

Designed as a heavily-armored reconnaissance vehicle with the mission of observing enemy forces, the Schwerer Panzerspähwagen first entered service in the mid 1930s. Originally based on a 6x4 truck design, these large but fast armored vehicles evolved to include eight-wheel designs. Though not meant to engage enemy forces, Panzerspähwagens could withstand small arms fire and could return fire with a 2 cm KwK 30 L/55 autocannon. These vehicles were operated throughout the war, though the extreme conditions in the USSR and North Africa limited their usefulness.